Six Fort Pierce Central High School Students Injured in Bus Crash
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Six students from Fort Pierce Central High School were injured in a crash involving two school buses Saturday night in Bradenton. The students were returning from a band competition.
Approximately 150 students were traveling on four buses when an SUV rear-ended one of the buses, causing it to collide with another bus. Six students were transported to local hospitals with minor injuries. Five have since been released, while one remains hospitalized for observation.
According to reports, Edward Byrnes, a parent, said his son Ethan was asleep during the incident but called home after the accident. Byrnes noted that Ethan declined emergency care at the scene, but experienced neck stiffness the following day.
Witnesses reported that a 2-year-old child was life-flighted to a hospital following the crash, prompting prayers for the child's recovery from the Byrnes family.
Manatee County Schools provided two buses to safely return the students to Fort Pierce Central, where they were reunited with their families early Sunday morning.
Dr. Jon R. Prince, superintendent of the school district, expressed gratitude for the swift response from local first responders and Manatee County Schools. “Our thoughts are with the students, families, and staff members impacted by last night's accident,” he added.
The incident is under investigation, with no further information available at this time.